The Interview (A McRoll in the REAL World Story by Sammy and Ilna)
by ilna
Summary: Jenna has her interview with Boris at the Ko Olina Resort.


**Sammy's notes:** Mari & Ilna-you guys are the absolute best! Thank you for everything! And thanks for letting my "I have a few ideas" turn into a co-write on this one, Ilna. It was a blast as always.

REAL Worlders-you guys are awesome. Thanks for all the support and encouragement.

**Ilna's Notes: **Thanks to Mari and Sammy for their never ending support. And thanks to Sammy for running with your "few ideas"! I'm amazed as always!

Readers and REAL McRollers - Thank you for your incredible support! It is always appreciated.

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

_The Interview (A McRoll in the REAL World Story by Sammy and Ilna)_

Cody locked his bike at one of the racks at the park's entrance and headed to the picnic area where he'd arranged to meet his mother before her big interview at the Ko Olina Resort.

He spotted her at a table, smiling at a familiar looking handmade card in front of her.

"They worked hard on that last night," he said as he approached.

Jenna looked up and smiled, quirking an eyebrow. " 'They'?" she said. "Your name is on this, too."

He grinned as he sat across from her. "Okay, _we_ worked hard on that last night."

She smiled. "You certainly kept it a surprise until this morning." She looked back down at the card which held messages of support and good luck from all five of her children presented to her that morning at breakfast. Setting it carefully back inside her purse, she reached into the small portable cooler and took out two sandwiches she'd made at home for them. "Thanks again for meeting me for lunch before the interview. I know you have a busy day today."

"Of course," he said without hesitation, accepting the proffered sandwich. "I've even got a couple more interview questions, in case you want to squeeze it a little more practice."

She smiled appreciatively. "Thanks, but at this point I think it'd be like cramming right before a test and that never did me much good." Her phone dinged with an incoming text and she smiled as she read the screen. "Good luck message from Catherine," she told him. "I swear I've gotten more texts today than any other day in my life. All wishing me good luck." She took a deep breath. "If this doesn't go well, I don't know how I'm going to tell everyone …" She fiddled with the sandwich bag rather than opening it.

"Are you nervous?" he asked, already suspecting the answer.

"I am," she admitted. "A little part of me still thinks it makes no sense. I mean, the only time I've even been to a resort like the Ko Olina was for Steve and Catherine's wedding. Now I'm interviewing to manage the facilities there?"

"You're a good manager," Cody said.

"I'm good manager at a dentist's office. But does that mean I'd also be a good manager at a luxury resort?"

"I think you would be," he said seriously.

"Don't you think you might be a little biased?" she asked with an affectionate, but knowing, look.

Cody smiled. "Maybe a little. But I also know that you're an excellent manager. Any time I stopped by Dr. Davenport's office someone would tell me that. Whether it was Dr. Davenport saying he didn't know what he'd do without you, or one of the front desk staff talking about how you created such a great working environment, or even one of the patients when they found out who I was telling me how you helped them. I was always so proud to hear that, 'cause of course I knew you were great, but it was something else to hear that from other people."

Jenna flushed a little at hearing the compliments.

"And it's more than just you being good at your job as a manager," he went on. "You know what I realized when we were doing the practice interviews?"

"What?" she asked.

"You've been a manager for a lot longer than four years."

"What? I–"

"Being a mom, a really great mom like you are, is like being a manager."

"Cody–"

"No, listen, I've thought about this. You said being the role of a manager is to keep the office running smoothly, right?"

"Right …" she said slowly.

"As a mom, you keep our home running smoothly."

"Well, I've had a lot of help with that, especially from you."

"You also said a good manager knows she can't do it all and accepts help when needed for the good of the business, or in our case, for the good of the family."

"That's true."

Cody continued, clearly on a roll. "You said the most important thing is to know your staff so that you can communicate with them more effectively and can utilize their strengths and abilities. That's like how you know your kids. You're a little different with each of us because you know how we respond to encouragement or discipline. How we each handle pressure or change."

Jenna smiled. It was true. Her kids were all different and the way she'd talk to Dylan about a tough day at school was different than how she'd comfort Kaitlyn or Jacob. And while Casey and Cody were the most similar of the five, even with them there had always been nuances as to how to draw them out.

"Even when there's conflict," Cody continued. "Remember when Dylan accused Jacob of breaking the remote for his robot? You didn't rush to judgment. You talked to both of them separately, and asked me what I knew so that you had all the facts. Then you sat them both down and worked together to find a solution."

Jenna smiled. "So what you're saying is that being a mom prepared me to be a manager."

"Yeah. Being a great mom has made you a great manager, and vice versa."

"You know something, I think you're right. I didn't think much on it at the time because I was so surprised he'd called in the first place, but Mr. O'Malley said something similar on the phone."

"Ms. Jackson says you can teach someone the ins and outs of a new job, but managing people is a true skill that comes much more naturally to some than others. And you're one of the naturals."

She smiled. "You know, practicing with you over the last week has really forced me to think about myself as a manager. It sounds strange, but it's just not something that I thought about day-to-day. I went to work and did the job. But now that I've had to really think about it and put it all into words for these interviews, I realize I have a lot to offer."

"You do," he said, smiling broadly.

"I'm a good problem-solver, I'm detail-oriented, and I'm good with people."

"Right. Now you just have to go in there and tell Mr. O'Malley that."

"With examples."

"With examples," he repeated.

"And confidence," she said with a smile at what had been a recurring theme throughout all their practice interviews.

He grinned. "And confidence." His expression grew more serious. "You got this, Mom. We all believe in you."

She reached across for his hand. "I know." Smiling, she gave it a squeeze. "I believe in me, too."

* * *

"Now that you've had a tour of the resort," Boris opened his office door and stood back so Jenna could enter first, "let's have a seat and talk."

"I have to say," Jenna smiled as she took a seat in one of the overstuffed armchairs that served as Boris's visitors' chairs, "I knew the chapel and the reception space Steve and Catherine used were beautiful but that's just the beginning, isn't it? Every inch of this resort is exquisite."

"Thank you. We work very hard to maintain the high standard our clients expect and deserve. Plus," Boris's eyes twinkled, "starting off by showing you the beautiful environment you could come to work in every single day was part of my master plan to win you over."

Jenna blushed. "You're very kind." She reached in her bag and pulled out her resume. As she did her hand brushed the good luck card and she smiled to herself. She remembered everything she and Cody had practiced and held her head high. She might not have the most impressive work and educational history but she was proud of what she'd managed to accomplish. She passed the papers to Boris who looked them over then laid them on the desk in front of him.

"Where would you feel comfortable starting?" he asked. Not his normal first question in an interview but he wanted Jenna to relax and thought this might be a way to accomplish it.

"Well," she took a few seconds to collect her thoughts then spoke decisively, "I've been reading up a little on what a Facilities Manager actually does but I'd like to hear from you what the job responsibilities would be."

Boris smiled. "Excellent place to start. What we need in a facilities manager is someone who can make sure that the Ko Olina Resort meets and exceeds the high standards we set for ourselves every day in terms of cleanliness and efficiency. Someone to oversee the cleaning, maintenance, parking and security staffs. Someone to coordinate off-site contractors who may need to be brought in from time to time for repairs to the physical plant. In short, someone who can make sure that every guest walks away from our facility impressed by its beauty."

Jenna nodded then took a deep fortifying breath. "One of my strengths has always been my attention to detail. I know that the smallest thing, like a streaky window or a corner that hasn't been cleaned as well as it should, can create a bad impression with a customer that it may take a long time to overcome, if you ever can. I personally walk through Dr. Davenport's entire office, including exam rooms and rest rooms, every morning before we open to make sure nothing has been overlooked. According to Dr. Davenport, patient complaints reduced significantly after I took over as office manager."

"Very impressive."

Boris's sincere compliment was like an adrenaline boost for Jenna.

"Did the rest of the staff also pitch in or was this just your personal initiative?" he asked.

"Everyone pitched in," Jenna replied. "One of the first things I did when I became office manager was create a comment card so patients could tell us about any issues they had, and also when one of the staff did something that stood out in a positive way. I purposely added questions about the cleanliness of the office and parking lot so that even staff members who aren't necessarily seen by the patients could feel like part of the team. Then at the end of the month, as long as we maintained a record of 90% or more positive comments, we had a catered lunch from a different restaurant, the doctor's treat. And we always made sure to save plenty for the night staff so they got the reward as well."

Boris leaned forward in his chair. "So, it wasn't a competition to win an individual prize, but rather a group prize?"

"Exactly. That way instead of everyone working for themselves we were all working as a team. Supporting each other and lifting up our teammates if they needed help. Which achieved my desired result of making the practice stronger. It worked really well. We got a catered lunch every month I was office manager."

Boris observed the woman sitting across the desk from him with a smile. He'd had a good feeling about bringing her in for an interview but he now realized he'd underestimated how perfect a fit she was for the resort. "That is exactly the kind of people manager we're looking for. Someone who motivates as opposed to intimidates."

"Intimidating doesn't get you very far," Jenna said. "I mean it might get someone to do something in the short term but in the long term it almost always lowers productivity and morale. I think it's better if people want to do well because they like their job and they like their co-workers. Of course there will be conflict from time to time, but I personally feel that if your employees know you to be fair and honest, and have good work experiences to look back on, the conflicts are much easier to resolve."

"I agree. In addition to patients and staff, do you have any responsibilities in the areas of bookkeeping, billing, that sort of thing?"

"I oversee our billing specialists. Two of them work full-time in the office and two work part-time from home. I created the idea for a program to make sure that all of our billing, to both insurance companies and patients, was accurate and complete and then worked with our IT contractor to design and implement it. As you can see from my resume that was actually my job before I was promoted to office manager."

"Tell me, the customer comment cards and the insurance program and the lunch contest … were those ideas you came up with yourself or were they carried out at the doctor's behest?"

"They were my ideas," Jenna replied. "Once I had a solid plan laid out for each program I ran it by Dr. Davenport for his approval, of course, and then with his permission I instituted it with the staff."

"How has no other doctor's office already snapped you up?" Boris asked more to himself than to Jenna.

She blushed again.

"May I ask you a question?" He was very intrigued by her ability to come up with creative ways to problem solve.

"Of course." She smiled. "That's what I'm here for."

"How would you handle something like this?" He removed a clipboard from his top drawer, folded down the top of the page to obscure the name of the company involved, and passed it across the desk to her."It's an invoice from the florist who handled one of our weddings last weekend. Please take note of the writing at the bottom."

Jenna read the handwritten comments. "'Delivery was two hours late'."

"That was written by one of my staff," Boris said. "The comment underneath was from the florist."

Jenna looked back at the invoice. " 'Sorry. I got tied up delivering two other weddings on the other side of the island.' " She huffed and examined the full invoice. "That's not right. I doubt they were getting paid this much by any other venue. First rate service to the Ko Olina should always be their number one priority. I mean of course florists are going to work with more than one wedding venue but doing flowers for an event here is going to generate more positive PR for them than anywhere else on the island. In fact, there's a good chance that PR is what got them so many other jobs."

Boris nodded. "My thoughts exactly. So how would you handle it?"

Jenna took a few minutes to gather her thoughts then spoke. "I'd create a priority vendors list. People and companies who have not only provided high quality products but delivered the full order on schedule every time. Place them at the top of the list and encourage your staff to use those companies first. If someone wants to work their way back up the list they need to start prioritizing the business Ko Olina sends their way."

Boris nodded. "Some of our event planners have favorites among these vendors and continue to use them even though they've fallen short in the past. We of course want to honor the artistic vision of our planners and designers. How would you gently nudge them towards the more reliable vendors without interfering with their, and by extension the bride and groom's, vision?"

"Give them some kind of personal stake," Jenna replied immediately. She was so engaged in finding a solution for the problem in front of her that her nervousness dropped away completely. "Tell them that if they choose to use a vendor who has proven unreliable in the past it is their responsibility to make sure deadlines are met. If they insist on using vendors who are consistently late, thereby causing stress for the rest of the staff working on the event, it will affect their performance review and possibly their assignment to large or high profile events in the future."

Boris leaned forward, placed his elbows on his desk, clasped his hands together and rested his chin on his joined hands. He studied Jenna for several seconds as though he was trying to work something out in his head. "I'm sorry, Ms. Allen. I'm not going to be able to offer you the position as Facilities Manager."

Jenna froze for a second then blinked rapidly and reached for her purse, which was sitting on the floor beside her chair. "I see." She swallowed hard. "Well, thank you for considering me. I appreciate your time." She started to stand.

"Please have a seat." Boris waved her back down. "I should have been more clear. I'm not going to be able to offer you the facilities manager position because I'm offering you the position of Assistant Resort Manager instead."

Jenna opened her mouth but no sound came out. She closed it then opened it again. After several tries she finally managed to scratch out, "Excuse me? I mean … what about Gus? Isn't he the Assistant Resort Manager?"

"Gus is the Assistant to the Resort Manager, which is, of course, me. He is extremely good at his job and is invaluable to the resort. The position I'm offering you is Assistant Resort Manager. It's a position I just created but I'm sure the board will gladly sign off on my recommendation after I tell them about our meeting. Once you're fully trained you'll be my second in command."

Jenna was trying to process the information as quickly as she could but she was having trouble getting her mind around what she had just heard. "I'm flattered, obviously, but are you sure? Cleaning and parking and security I feel confident I can handle but I have no experience dealing with florists and linen companies and menus and all the things that go into the kinds of events you put on here."

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life," Boris said without a trace of reservation in his voice or manner. "You'll still be handling the oversight of the facilities, but I'll continue my search for someone to handle the day to day details of that job. You are an extremely bright woman with a positive attitude and an ability to see a solution for every problem. You stress teamwork while encouraging personal initiative. You lead by example. You foster a supportive environment. Plus, you have an amazing ability to connect with people which I think will translate to our artistic staff like chefs, designers and planners as well as our more number based departments like billing and payroll. There is no doubt in my mind you'll be an asset to the resort and to me personally. If you're willing to be the student, I'm ready to be your teacher."

Jenna beamed. "I'm very ready." And to her complete surprise she was telling the truth. She was nervous, obviously, but she was also excited to take on the challenge. She knew in her heart this was the right move and felt confident if she worked hard she could be successful.

Boris pulled a pad of paper from his drawer and wrote something on it.

"This will be your salary." He pushed the pad towards Jenna and took it as a good sign when her eyes widened. "You'll get an allowance for a company car. Full health benefits. A retirement plan. Paid vacation. Regular performance reviews and salary increase considerations. HR will go over the details with you when you fill out the paperwork on your first day. I believe the younger Ms. Allen said Dr. Davenport's office is closing on July 31 so how about we say August 5 for your first day?"

"That would be perfect." Jenna bit her lip. " But, I think I should let you know the kids and I have a trip planned over Christmas to visit Nonna in New Jersey. They're very excited about maybe seeing snow."

"Not a problem." Boris winked at her. "As long as you agree to bring me back a lasagna."

"I'll personally carry it back for you." Jenna smiled and extended her hand. "Thank you. I promise I won't let you down."

"I know you won't." Boris beamed as he shook the hand of his newest employee. "Welcome to the Ko Olina Resort."

* * *

The usual rambunctious conversation stopped as the Allen children entered their house and saw their mother standing in the living room waiting for them.

Silently, all eyes on her, they filed in. Cody swallowed thickly, but it was Casey who spoke. "Well … are we looking at the new Facilities Manager for the Ko Olina Resort?"

"No," Jenna began slowly, unable to stop the broad smile from spreading across her face. "You're looking at the new Assistant _Resort_ Manager for the Ko Olina Resort!"

A flurry of exclamations and hugs ensued as they rushed toward her.

"What does that even mean?" Kaitlyn asked, looking up at Jenna even as she left both arms wrapped tightly around her.

"It means Boris really liked what I had to say," Jenna said with a grin. She shared a knowing look with Cody who returned her smile tenfold.

"Does that mean you're the boss of the whole hotel?" Jacob asked, eyes wide.

Jenna laughed. "That means I'm the _assistant_ boss of the whole hotel," she clarified.

"That's crazy, Mom," Dylan exclaimed. "And awesome."

"It's crazy awesome!" Jacob supplied.

"It is," Jenna agreed, laughing. "I can still hardly believe it myself. I'll start on August 5th," she told them excitedly.

"Wow, that's soon," Casey said.

"It is. But perfect since the practice closes next week. I'll have just enough time to get a few suit jackets for my fancy new job," she said, grinning. She took a deep breath. "I'll have a lot to learn right away, but I'm really excited for it.

"Because it's a new challenge, right, Mom?" Kaitlyn said. She recalled some words of wisdom that Jenna had often given her. "And challenges can be scary but exciting."

"That's right, honey." Her expression grew more serious. "Now, this will mean some changes. There might be times I have to go to work in the evenings or on the weekends."

"That's okay, Mom," Dylan said. "We'll be okay."

She smiled at him. "I know you will be. You five can handle anything." Her smile grew. "It also means I'll be making more money and, most importantly, we can all sleep a little easier. I know the last couple weeks have been a bit of a challenge. I'll admit there have been some nights I've had trouble falling asleep, too. But the important thing is we stuck together."

"We knew you could do it, Mom," Kaitlyn said, hugging her again.

"Ohh, thank you, honey. You know, the fact that you all had such confidence in me helped me have more confidence in myself."

"And all the practice with Cody," Jacob added.

"And that," Jenna said sincerely, running a hand over Jacob's hair. Looking up, she reached over and put her hand on Cody's shoulder, squeezing it gratefully. "I'll never be able to thank you enough."

He shook his head with a little shrug. "I just helped you see what we already knew."

"That you're the best!" Jacob put in, his assessment quickly echoed by his siblings.

Jenna laughed, hugging them all as best she could. Stepping back, a hand on Casey's arm and Cody's, she said, "Now, I want you all to listen to me. No matter what changes come with this new job and no matter how excited I am about it, I want you to remember that my most important job and my most _favorite_ job is being your mom, and that will never change." She smiled. "So, on that note, I thought we could have a special dinner to celebrate, Allen Family style."

Dylan's eyes widened. "You mean …?"

She nodded, smiling broadly. "Breakfast for dinner," she announced to enthusiastic approval. "Because no matter how fancy my job gets, to me, nothing beats a meal prepared by Egg Woman, Cheese Dude, Toast Man, the Butter Whiz, and Captain Juice."

"Don't forget the Scrambler, Mom," Jacob said, grinning happily as he reminded her of her own moniker.

"A good manager knows when to delegate," Jenna said with a wink. "I think Egg Woman can handle scrambler duties."

Kaitlyn beamed proudly.

"And I did get something a little out of the ordinary," Jenna went on. "A bottle of sparkling grape juice to celebrate a new chapter for us. I thought we could do a little toast. The speech kind, before we do the bread kind," she added with a grin at Dylan. She waved them into the kitchen where she'd set the bottle on the table along with six plastic champagne flutes. "Captain Juice, if you'd do the honors."

"Sure," Cody said with a smile, quickly opening the bottle and pouring some of the sparkling beverage into each glass.

They all took one, facing each other as they held them aloft.

"A toast," Jenna said. "To the best family a mom could ask for. Thank you for your support and encouragement and _help_ the past few weeks." She looked at each of them in turn. "I really don't think I could've done this without you."

"To Mom," Cody replied. "For showing us what hard work, persistence, and belief in yourself can do."

Jenna smiled at him through watery eyes, touched by his words.

"To Mom," Kaitlyn echoed.

"And to us," Jenna said. "And our new adventure."

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed!**

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